Interesting spring awaits ND quarterbacks

October 12, 2006|ERIC HANSEN Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- He is careful not to mention the "C" word, as in Clausen, but Demetrius Jones doesn't measure any of his other thoughts or words when it comes to the future. "We still have another half season to go," the Notre Dame freshman quarterback prefaced. "You never know what can happen as a player. ... But, of course, I think about (next spring), because what happens during that period of time will have a lot to do with what's going to happen the next few years. Of course, it's important, but right now I'm just trying to help our defense get better." Actually, Jones and classmate Zach Frazer share that role these days for the 12th-ranked Irish (5-1), alternating weeks on the scout team, imitating opposing quarterbacks in practice and giving the Irish defense the most realistic looks it has seen in years. One week the 6-foot-4, 202-pound Jones is Georgia Tech's Reggie Ball, the next the 6-4, 215-pound Frazer is Michigan's Chad Henne. Then Jones is Michigan State's Drew Stanton, then it's back to Frazer to mimic Purdue's Curtis Painter. "I think both those guys are night-and-day improved over when we got them," Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis beamed. But neither one wants to be running someone else's offense in practice at this time next year. They want to be the quarterback, the one who chases senior starter Brady Quinn's records -- as do sophomore Evan Sharpley and high school senior Jimmy Clausen, the most celebrated, talked-about, scrutinized, idolized Irish recruit in more than a decade. "I think it's going to be an interesting spring," Weis conceded when pressed, without acknowledging Clausen plans to enroll early to join the fray. "We'll worry about the spring after this season's over. Right now we're just trying to beat UCLA (Oct. 21). All of a sudden when Quinn is no longer here, then we have a whole different set of encyclopedias to have to be dealing with. It will be a sad day for him, sad day for us, but also a good day for